Museum history

August 30, 2016

Ever wonder what Freemasonry is all about, or what a curator does? What the difference is between an Odd Fellow, Elk, or Moose? Whether or not a symbol is Masonic? What your family’s connection to Freemasonry may be? Which U.S. Presidents were Masons? Or, what the oldest object in our collection is? Now is your chance to get answers to your questions!*

Join us on twitter, September 14, 2016, for the international museum event, #AskACurator day. Hundreds of museums from around the world have participated in this live tweeting event since 2010. The event is coordinated by Mar Dixon, a social media and audience development consultant. For more information about which museums are participating and about the history of the event visit: http://www.mardixon.com/.

Our passionate and knowledgeable staff will be on hand from 9:00am to 3:00pm to answer your questions. Tweet your questions to @masonmuseum using the hashtag #AskaCurator on September 14th. Want to get your questions in early? You can! Tweet your questions using the instructions above or email them to ylaxton@srmml.org.

Aimee oversees the management of the museum’s collections department and the use of the object collection, which numbers more than 17,000 items, as well as the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts collection of more than 10,000 artifacts, which is on long-term loan. In a given week, Aimee may spend her time answering inquiries about objects, bidding on a new item for the collection at auction, writing an article for a Masonic magazine or journal, giving a tour on site or a talk off site. She is active in the Masonic Museum & Library Association (MLMA) and will serve as its president from 2015-2017. She is also the author of the Museum’s recent book, The Badge of a Freemason: Masonic Aprons from the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library (2015).

Jeff Croteau, Director of Library and Archives

Jeff Croteau is the Museum’s librarian. As the Director of the Library & Archives he is responsible for all aspects of the library’s functions, which include acquiring books and periodicals, cataloging books, and providing reference services. He also frequently writes about the library’s collection for the Museum’s blog and The Northern Light, the quarterly magazine of Scottish Rite Masonry in America. He earned his Master of Library Science (M.L.S.) degree from Queens College in New York and Master of Arts (M.A.) in English from the University of New Hampshire.

Hilary Anderson Stelling, Director of Exhibitions and Audience Development

Hilary oversees exhibitions and public programs. At the museum, she has curated exhibitions on topics ranging from Masonic decorative arts and neon signs to colonial history and contemporary photography. Hilary is a regular contributor to the Museum’s Blog and contributed to Curiosities of the Craft: Treasures for the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts Collection (2013). If you have questions about exhibitions or programs, scheduling a special program or lecture for an event, planning a tour for your group or becoming a member of the Museum, please get in touch!

Jeff Coelho, Archivist

John Coelho is the Museum’s archivist. He is responsible for all aspects of the archives’ functions, which include acquiring archival items and collections, cataloging collections, and providing reference services related to the archives. He has a Master of Science in Library & Information Science (M.S.) from Simmons College in Boston and a Master of Arts (M.A.) in History from Providence College in Providence, RI.

April 20, 2015

Forty years ago today, on April 20, 1975, the Scottish Rite Masonic Museum & Library officially opened its doors to the public - two hundred years and one day after the Battle of Lexington. Over 1,400 people attended the opening day ceremonies, a crowd that included local school children, Active Members of the Scottish Rite's Supreme Council, Northern Masonic Jurisdiction, state and local politicians, and representatives of various state and national-level Masonic organizations, as well as many local citizens. The Museum's first director, Clement M. Silvestro (1924-2014), predicted that the Museum & Library - opened in time to celebrate the U.S. bicentennial in 1976 - would be "counted among the enduring projects emanating from the Bicentennial commemorative events." Among the first exhibitions was an "orientation exhibition" (pictured above) in the Museum's lobby which "explained that the new Museum and Library is sponsored by the Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in the Northern Jurisdiction of the United States of America [and] was built to commemorate the 200th anniversary of our Nation's founding..."

A recounting of the day's events in the Supreme Council's 1975 Annual Proceedings, includes a description of the flag raising ceremony (photo at right):

"Prior to the dedication ceremonies, students of the Lexington Public Schools presented the Museum with a thirteen-star flag, and raised it to the accompaniment of musket fire from the Minuteman Guard of Honor, and a musical salute by the Linn Village Drum Band. The fifth graders participating in the flag raising ceremony were George Young and Mary Lyons from the Adams School, Laura Taylor and Keith Johnson from the Munroe School, and Micah Sheveloff and Stephen Shapiro from the Bowman School."

Following the flag raising, a dedication ceremony took place in the Museum's auditorium. Members of the Scottish Rite's Supreme Council, led by then-Sovereign Grand Commander George A. Newbury, conducted a "richly symbolic and dramatic Masonic ceremony." Secretary of the Air Force, John L. McLucas, then delivered a dedicatory address. After McLucas spoke, Silvestro, the Museum's Director, standing at a lectern that's now part of the Museum's collection, delivered his own address to the packed auditorium.

Were you at the Museum & Library's "Dedication and Grand Opening" on April 20, 1975? Tell us about it in the comments below. If you took photos that day, we'd especially love to hear from you!